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Live in Surrey or Langley and Expecting a Baby Soon? Thinking about having Doula Support for your Birth?

Prenatal Journey currently has space for one more client due Jan 2017, and one more due Feb 2017. If you’re due in March or later, there is still space. I provide Birth Doula Support to moms-to-be in Surrey, Langley, Delta, Vancouver and Abbotsford.

Having a doula is a great idea if you would like to have more support through your pregnancy, birth and postpartum time. It’s especially helpful if you want to have your best chance at having a natural birth. Doulas provide non-medical physical, emotional and informational support so that moms can have an easier time in labour and have an empowering, positive birth experience. Evidence proves that having a Doula reduces the need for pain meds like epidurals or narcotics, and also reduces the need for inductions and cesareans. They also increase successful breastfeeding rates, reduce postpartum depression, and make sure moms and babies start their new phase of life feeling supported, positive and capable.

At births, I often help moms cope with labour with specific techniques and tools – counterpressure, hip squeezes, massage, position changes, TENS machine, encouragement and so on. I also am a great listener, supporting moms through any emotional challenges they are dealing with in pregnancy, birth, or after their babies are born. Being there with moms right in labour and being available 24 hours a day by phone in pregnancy and postpartum to answer any questions, helps moms get the information they need to power them to make informed decisions about their well-being. Dads also LOVE having a doula to help out in labour. Dads are so important at births, and I always make sure I show dads how to effectively support their partners. Dads and doulas usually work as a team. Moms can’t have too much support in labour.

Prenatal Classes, and Birth Photography

Besides doula support, I also teach prenatal classes and provide birth photography. I offer private prenatal classes in Surrey, Langley, and surrounding areas. They are on your schedule and in the comfort of your own home. Group prenatal classes are in small groups and consist of two full Saturdays, or once a week for 8 weeks. Many clients also love having birth photography done to capture special memories of their child’s brith and the first moments of life.

If you’d like to register, call 604 809 3288 or email kaurina@prenataljourney.ca

Here’s what a doula and prenatal class client has said,

I was determined to give my daughter Valentina a natural birth at home without the use of any pain medication. Thanks to Kaurina, I was able to physically, emotionally and mentally prepare myself to make this happen. Kaurina was very thorough and motivating during those important months of preparation, helping my husband and I shape the kind of birth that we wanted for our baby. It was through her inspiring talks that we truly shaped our home-birth plan, as she helped guide our thinking as well as presenting many options that had not occurred to us. Thanks to her we were more than prepared for the arrival of our daughter. Not only did she provide me with the support I needed, she provided my husband with extremely helpful tools, helping him become an integral part of the birthing process.
During labour, I was so deeply thankful to have Kaurina with me as my doula. She was calming and reassuring, providing me with excellent coaching, calming my mind and body, giving me the focus and direction I needed to bring Valentina into this world as calmly and quickly as naturally possible.
After the birth of Valentina, the world came into sharp focus. No matter how many nieces, nephews, or children of friends, nothing prepared us for the intimate feeling of caring for our own child. With this also came the fears of proper care, the immediacy of her needs, and the emotional roller coaster of the post-partum period. Kaurina was there for us in every way. She answered every phone call and question, as well as coming by to check on our health, well being, and techniques; such as showing me useful breastfeeding techniques, how to care for the umbilical cord, and the best way to approach a bath for a newborn.
All of this care made for a truly beautiful birth experience, as well as ensuring a positive post-partum period; Kaurina can be thanked for it all.

Ok, this is probably the most comprehensive explanation of why someone might want to hire a doula I have ever read, and it comes complete with a concept diagram of the whole thing!

Rebecca Dekker starts out by saying,

When I was pregnant with my first child, I briefly considered hiring a doula. I saw the doula flyers at Baby Moon, where I did prenatal yoga, and I thought it sounded kind of cool. But when I talked to my husband about it, he felt a little squeamish about the idea. We are both pretty private people (although you wouldn’t think it now that I blog about birth), and he didn’t want anybody else there. He just wanted it to be him and me. And he felt like he would do a good job of supporting me. At the time, it made sense. But hindsight, as they say, is 20-20.

Now all I can say is what were we thinking? How could it possibly be just him and me at the birth, anyways? We were planning to birth in a hospital! A teaching hospital, no less! Where there would be strange residents and students coming and going, and where we had no control over who we got as a labor and delivery nurse. And this was my first birth! It is so important to avoid a C-section in your first birth, because that sets the tone and risk level for all of the rest of your births (and we wanted to have at least 4 children, too). I knew on some mental level that doulas lower the risk of C-section, but I guess I just didn’t realize how important doulas are. Well, I do now. So today, I am going to talk to you about the evidence for having a doula present at your birth.

So true! I can relate because during my first pregnancy, I couldn’t imagine what I would need a doula for too. All that changed once I was in labour. To read my story you can go to Birth Stories.

Rebecca goes on to explain the randomized controlled trials that prove how effective doulas can be for improving labour and baby outcomes. To read the rest of the article, click read the article here.

The absolute craziest thing is how after so much research, the medical profession isn’t like totally promoting doulas to every pregnant woman. The fact is, if doulas were a drug, it would be unethical not to recommend them. But they’re not a drug. They’re people. And so, right now, only the people who already get it, are choosing to have a doula. I hope by the time my daughter is having kids, every pregnant woman is informed about doulas and exactly how they can help, so she can make an informed choice, instead of of what I usually hear, which is, “I wish I had known about doulas BEFORE I gave birth!”

Yesterday I did a quick review of the new internet channel about birth – http://www.oneworldbirth.net/ . After giving it more thought, I decided to add a point that I think is critically important in the debate, yet is often completely ignored. That is, what does the mom prefer for her own birth?

What does the mom prefer?! How does that matter?! Isn`t it just a question of safety and risk? Life or death?

Well, remember, in my review post I talked about most decisions in childbirth being in the grey area. What that means is there may be some risks to not using medical intervention, and some risks to using medical intervention. So caregivers and parents have to make a decision based on balancing the risks.

Because we are talking about those grey area situations right now, and not the out and out real and immediate emergencies, I would like to suggest that one critically important factor in deciding the course of action, besides weighing the risks, is knowing what the moms preferences are for her birth.

Seems simple really, but it is quite profound and has long lasting effects. Here`s why –

There are roughly 3 groups of women – Women who really don`t like medical interventions, women who do want medical interventions, and women who don`t care either way. You may argue about which group is more common, or why they feel the way they do, but no one can deny that there are these three groups.

It`s funny because the women who really prefer natural birth simply can`t understand why some women don`t, and the women who really want a medical birth cannot fathom why anyone would want a natural birth. The point is not which is a better way. There is no such thing. The point is that different women prefer different experiences. The childbirth “Experts“ can debate all they want, but what do they women actually doing the birthing think?

Why this is so important is this : Say a woman who really wants a normal birth, goes to the hospital and has a long labor. The doctor comes in at some point and says, “Well, this has gone on for too long. I think we may as well do a cesarean.“The well-intentioned doctor may well be thinking, “No sense in letting her suffer. I`ll help her out by getting the baby out now and putting an end to her pain.“ This is an example of a grey area situation where there is no signs of distress in mother or baby. (i`m not talking about situations where there is a clear problem and a cesarean is clearly the best option.)

If the mom doesn`t have a discussion with the doctor about risks, benefits and her preferences, she may go on to have the cesarean then end up wondering for the rest of her life if it was really necessary. Besides physical effects, there can be emotional effects which can affect her self-confidence as a woman and as a mother.

If however, the woman doesn`t care either way, normal birth or cesarean, then she may be totally happy with her experience and won`t feel the same emotions as the woman who actually wanted the vaginal birth.

If the woman actually wanted a cesarean to start with, she would be so relieved and totally happy with her experience.

The thing is the doctor does not know which of these three categories of women his client is in. The doctor may not even know there are three categories. If you have a preference, it is your job to figure out what it is, and to communicate it with your doctor. It is easier to have these discussions during your prenatal visits rather than in thee middle of labor, although you can still discuss things as they arise.

That woman in the first example may still choose to go ahead with the cesarean, or she may not. But if she has a discussion with her doctor or midwife and takes into account her preference, she will feel much better about her experience, and feel more confident about herself and be more relaxed as a mom.

I hope you found this article helpful. Please leave your thoughts in the comment box. If you would like to schedule a birth consultation to clarify your preferences for birth (otherwise known as a Birth Plan) and write a list of important questions to discuss with your caregiver in prenatal visits, call 604 809 3288 or email kaurina @ prenatal journey . ca